A costly second-period breakdown derailed the Ducks' winning streak, despite a late surge.
On their second game of a back-to-back, the Anaheim Ducks remained in Alberta after defeating the Calgary Flames on Sunday, traveling to take on the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
The Ducks clawed their way back into a secure (for now) playoff position with a seven-game winning streak, and the winner of this game would hold sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division.
The Oilers entered having given up five or more goals in four of their last five games, most recently in a 6-5 overtime win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
The Ducks iced the same lineup they had for their previous handful, starting this game looking like this:
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Kreider-Harkins-Strome
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
Johnston-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Helleson
Zellweger-Gudas
Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks, his first action since Jan 17, and saved 25 of the 30 shots he faced. He was opposed by Tristan Jarry, who stopped 36 of 40.
Game Notes#
The Ducks played far looser to start this game than they had since their winning streak began. The emphasis on “simplification” seemed absent through the first two periods of this game. A poor four minute stretch in the second period sunk them like quicksand, as the harder they fought, the more mistakes they made and the deeper they fell behind.
Anaheim pushed back well in the third, riding their top line to generate as much offense as they could, but it was too little too late, and the Ducks’ winning streak came to an end despite winning the underlying numbers battle. Though much of the numbers could be attributed to score effects, at 5v5, the Ducks held 57.73% of the shot attempts share, 57.14% of the shots on goal share, and 62.75% of the expected goals share.
Rush Defense: The offensive blueline was a significant thorn in Anaheim’s side in this game. From small mistakes like poor angling from an F3 against an exit while the other two forwards are too low to backcheck effectively to larger mistakes like Beckett Sennecke attempting an east-west pass to a covered teammate, failure to execute in one of the underrated dangerous areas of the ice led to several Edmonton goals and ultimately cost the Ducks this game.
A lot of the mistakes could be chalked up to “trying to do too much” while trailing, but simplification and chipping pucks deep are key elements of what got them their last seven wins coming into Monday.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The Ducks have been a much improved team around their crease in d-zone coverage. However, they still get hung up when pucks move from a battle, low to high. The weak side winger is too quick to support and pressure the puck carrier at the strong side point, which leaves the weak side point open. If the puck gets to the opposite point, the now low strong side defensemen feel the need to leave the slot and pressure out high, creating a domino effect that can end with pucks in the back of the net as the other four defenders scramble to shift.
Power Play: One of the brightest spots in this game for the Ducks was on the man-advantage. The Ducks scored three power play goals on four chances, finally cashing in on some encouraging signs they’ve showed of late. The adjustment to place Kreider as a high, supporting bumper has alleviated a significant amount of pressure for the point defenseman and flanks. He’s communicating constantly, “directing traffic,” and making quick decisions when pucks find him, which draws defenders higher and allows the flanks more time to drive downhill and make plays.
Top Line: Killorn, Granlund, and Sennecke have found a rapport and have become a deadly trio with varying complimentary skillsets. Granlund was the star of this game for the Ducks with a goal scoring touch added to his already present creativity and high hockey IQ.
Sennecke’s drag and release has become exceptionally deadly in a short amount of time and his tenacity with the puck on his stick makes it a chore for defenders to win battles against him, especially when he has any semblance of speed.
The Ducks top line has now tallied 14 points (7-7=14) and two hat tricks in their last three games. This could be a line that is kept together after the team’s injured star trio (Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish) return to the lineup.
The Ducks will wrap up their road trip on Thursday, when they’ll travel to British Colombia to take on the Vancouver Canucks.